Mining Intelligence and News
Chile

Andina Mine

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Categories

Overview

Mine TypeOpen Pit & Underground
StatusActive
Commodities
  • Copper
  • Molybdenum
  • Silver
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
  • Block caving
Production Start... Lock
Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotThe Andina Division consists of an open pit mine, an underground mine and a concentrator.

In 2022, Traspaso Andina project has completed the commissioning stage of the Primary Crushing process. Andina New Transfer System was fully competed in April 2024 with the delivery of its Secondary Crushing System.

Andina New Transfer System provides continuity to the development of the copper deposit, releasing minerals with higher copper grades for later extraction.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Codelco Corp. (operator) 100 % Indirect
Codelco Corp. develops business in seven mining divisions: Chuquicamata, Minister Hales, Radomiro Tomic, Gabriela Mistral, Salvador, Andina and El Teniente, in addition to the Ventanas Refinery.

The deposits and plants belong to the State of Chile, which grants company the power to exploit and manage them.

Contractors

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Deposit type

  • Breccia pipe / Stockwork
  • Porphyry

Summary:

The Andina mining operation consists of Río Blanco underground mine and the Sur Sur open pit mine.

Los Bronces-Rio Blanco is one of three giant Miocene to Pliocene Cu-Mo breccia/porphyry copper deposits in central Chile.

Paragenetic studies indicate main stages of veins, breccia and porphyry emplacement in the Rio Blanco and Sur-Sur sectors of the ore deposit. The stages are: (1) magnetite-actinolite alteration; (2) potassic stockwork veins; (3) Rio Blanco Magmatic Breccia and Sur-Sur Tourmaline Breccia; (4) Feldspar Porphyry; (5) Quartz Monzonite Porphyry and Don Luis Porphyry; (6) molybdenite stockwork veins; (7) chalcopyrite stockwork veins; and (8) D veins. Barren dacite and rhyolite intrusions cross-cut the ore deposit complex.

A change from potassic to phyllic alteration defines the contact between the Rio Blanco Magmatic Breccia and Sur-Sur Tounnaline Breccia. The Rio Blanco Magmatic Breccia occupies a large volume of rock within the Rio Blanco, La Union, Don Luis and Sur-Sur sectors, and extends over a vertical interval of ~2 km. The Tourmaline Breccia lies transitionally outward from the Magmatic Breccia mainly in the Sur-Sur sector. There is a 100m thick gradational contact between deep level biotite breccia and shallow-level tourmaline breccia at Sur-Sur. Paragenetic studies of breccia cement minerals in the Rio Blanco Magmatic Breccia and Sur-Sur Tounnaline Breccia reveal a similar cement infill sequence involving initial biotite and/or tounnaline precipitation at clast margins, followed by sulfate (anhydrite) and oxide (specularite) mineral phases, and in tum by chalcopyrite and magnetite.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

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Processing

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Production

CommodityUnits202320222021202020192018201720162015
Copper t  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe170,274195,531220,030193,341224,264
Silver kg  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe42,56948,88355,00848,33556,066
All production numbers are expressed as metal in concentrate.

Operational metrics

Metrics202220212020201920182017
Daily processing capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Ore tonnes mined  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe30,676 kdmt29,264 kdmt31,863 kdmt
Waste OP  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe37,472 kt

Production Costs

CommodityUnits20212020201920182017
C1 cash costs Copper USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 1.85 / lb   1.64 / lb   1.4 / lb  

Financials

Units2023202220212020201920182017
Revenue M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 988.7   1,197   1,581  
Gross profit M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 42.3   242.4   454.8  
Pre-tax Income M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe -103.5   -63.4   96.3  
After-tax Income M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe -41.9   -4.6   19.6  

Heavy Mobile Equipment

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Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required May 31, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required May 31, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required May 31, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required May 23, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required May 31, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required May 31, 2023

EmployeesContractorsYear
...... Subscription required 2023
...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required 2022
...... Subscription required 2021
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...... Subscription required 2019
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...... Subscription required 2017
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...... Subscription required 2015
...... Subscription required 2014

Aerial view:

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